Shloka 18
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
वैश्यानां धान्यधनवाउुछूद्राणामेव जन्मत: । पूज्यतायां च गोविन्दे हेतू द्वावपि संस्थितौ
vaiśyānāṃ dhānya-dhana-vau śūdrāṇām eva janmataḥ | pūjyatāyāṃ ca govinde hetū dvāv api saṃsthitau ||
Dalam kalangan Vaiśya, yang mengatasi orang lain dalam hasil bijirin dan kekayaan dianggap paling layak dihormati. Dalam kalangan Śūdra pula, penghormatan terutama diberikan berdasarkan kelahiran—khususnya keutamaan usia. Namun pada Govinda (Kṛṣṇa), kedua-dua sebab itu hadir sekali gus, maka baginda memang paling utama untuk dimuliakan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma explains that social honor is often assigned by different criteria—wealth and prosperity among Vaiśyas, and birth-based seniority among Śūdras—then asserts that Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) possesses both kinds of grounds for reverence, reinforcing his exceptional worthiness of honor.
In the Sabha Parva’s courtly discourse, Bhīṣma speaks as an elder authority, articulating how people conventionally determine who is ‘most worthy’ in different social groups, and uses that framework to justify why Kṛṣṇa (Govinda) should be regarded as supremely venerable.